It is reported (in H. Kropp et al., Antimicrob. Agents, Chemother., 22, 62 (1982); S. R. Norrby et al., ibid., 23, 300 (1983)) that thienamycin derivatives have excellent antibacterial activity, but that they lose their activity, due to decomposition by dehydropeptidase I, which is an inactivating enzyme of thienamycin dervatives present in the human body and exhibit low urinary recovery rates.
In addition, it is known that imipenem, which is one of the thienamycin derivatives, exhibits nephrotoxicity. Compounds which can overcome these defects and exhibit excellent antibacterial activity are now being searched for. Carbapenem derivatives having a methyl group at the 1-position of the catbapenem skeleton and a 2-substituted pyrrolidin-4-ylthio group at the 2-position have been disclosed, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,604, Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. Hei 5-339269, Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. Hei 6-172356 and Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. Hei 6-199860.